Human hair becomes soiled due to its contact with the surrounding environment and from sebum secreted by the scalp. The soiling of the hair causes it to have a dirty or greasy feel, and an unattractive appearance. The soiling of the hair necessitates shampooing with regularity.
Shampooing deans the hair by removing excess soil and sebum. However, shampooing can leave hair in a wet, tangled, and generally unmanageable state. After shampooing, hair is often left in a dry, rough, lusterless, or frizzy condition due to removal of the hair's natural oils and other natural conditioning components. Furthermore, such hair may also suffer from a perceived loss of softness. In addition, hair may possess increased levels of static after drying, which can interfere with combing and reduce hair manageability. This results in a condition commonly referred to as “flyaway hair.” Certain consumers consider such flyaway hair and the corresponding increase in total hair volume undesirable. Thus, it is desirable to provide smooth, soft, silky-feeling, and healthy-looking hair, while decreasing flyaway hair volume and total hair volume. In addition, it is typically desirable to increase the biodegradability of a hair care composition.
A variety of approaches have been developed to address these issues. Such approaches typically seek to increase smoothness, softness, and luster by including hair conditioning compounds, typically cationic compounds, such as cationic surfactants, into a hair care composition. Such hair conditioning compounds may also reduce static. In theory, these cationic compounds, including quaternary ammonium compounds, seek to neutralize the static charge on the hair, and thus reduce flyaway hair volume. However, these hair conditioning compounds do not sufficiently reduce total hair volume, and may be harsh on the hair, skin, or scalp.
Alternatively, oily compounds, such as a silicone, an ester oil, and/or a hydrocarbon oil have been included in hair care compositions to reduce flyaway hair. However, while these oily compounds may make hair feel smoother, more silky, and/or appear more lustrous, they are not sufficient to satisfy certain consumers.
Accordingly, the need remains for a hair care composition which both reduces flyaway hair volume and is easily biodegradable. The need also remains for a hair care composition which provides smoother, softer, more silky, and more lustrous hair, without imparting an oily feel onto hair. The need also remains for a hair care composition possessing these benefits, which is effectively deposited onto hair.